MB Kennedy Varda Makes Verbal Commitment to the Cats' Class of 2027

While the Cats have never been one of the perennial powerhouses in college volleyball throughout the years, they've had their fair share of physical middle blockers whose presence at the net has been an integral part of the team's success. Strong, athletic middle blockers, such as Kaz Brown, Emily Franklin, Azhani Tealer, Elise Goetzinger, and currently Brooke Bultema, have all played key roles on Skinner's best defensive teams. And it appears that another is headed to Lexington very soon as 6'2" middle blocker Kennedy Varda announced her verbal commitment to Kentucky earlier this week. 

Hailing from Bozeman, Montana, a significant part of the coaching staff's attraction to Varda's game is her work ethic. Especially with a position as physically demanding as a middle blocker, the best athletes have a constant desire to work and find new ways to improve. And from the sounds of it, that describes Varda to a tee. 

"She has a work ethic like Brooke Bultema... her love for the game, she's like a sponge absorbing new information," one top talent scout said. "You know she's just going to keep getting better and better, and I'd think Kentucky has to be very excited in her growth potential in the next few years of college, but then, especially when she joins them, she should just see her game skyrocket.  Much like they are expecting from a Bryah Breaux."

But not only is she a gym rat, she's also an especially gifted blocker with the foot speed to make reads quickly and effectively.

"She is really quick laterally and is a really good blocker," sources say. "She will need to continue to develop her terminal arm and new attacking routes, and new footwork speeds there. But she's so, so good at blocking."

With Varda heading into just her junior year of high school and her clear commitment to improving, expect to see Varda's PPV jump from the 193 it's sitting at currently by the time she arrives on campus in the fall of 2027. And if she's as good a blocker as the coaching staff thinks she is, she'll be able to compete for a starting spot almost immediately upon arrival in Lexington. The scout compared Varda's work ethic to that of current middle blocker Brooke Bultema, who is known by her team for that very thing. When Varda enters as a freshman, Bultema will be a senior for the Cats and will serve as an invaluable mentor to Varda from the middle. And from the sounds of things, Kentucky will likely be seeing an even more improved Kennedy Varda by the time that day comes around.